The Scrambled States Of America And More Stories To Celebrate Our Country

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All Rise...

The Charge

Celebrate America with these grand patriotic stories!

The Case

The growing Scholastic Video Collection has been notable for bringing classic
children's literature to the screen. With the release of The Scrambled States
Of America and More Stories To Celebrate Our Country, another winning disc
has been added to the series.

The main program is comprised of three shorts, all animated in different
styles and methods. On a scale of zero to five stars:

The Scrambled States of America Kansas and Nebraska throw a
party for all fifty states. They have such a good time that they decide to
switch places with each other, resulting in the Scrambled States of America.
Chevy Chase (National
Lampoon's Vacation, Caddyshack) and Diana Canova (Soap, One
True Thing) contribute voices. Rating: *****

This Land is My Land Woody Guthrie's masterpiece is performed
by his son Arlo (Alice's Restaurant)
against a backdrop of Kathy Jakobsen illustrations. Arlo Guthrie himself is
drawn into the background at various points in the short. Rating:
*****

The Star Spangled Banner Aretha Franklin belts out an expanded
version of our national anthem, set against illustrations from Peter Spier's
1973 book. Rating: **

Of the three Scholastic DVDs I have reviewed to date, this one is my
favorite. As a whole, it is wonderfully entertaining. The Scrambled States of
America may be the funniest children's book since those Sesame Street
Bert and Ernie books I adored as a child. Kids will love the overall goofiness
of the piece while their parents will love the sly in-jokes and satire. This
Land is My Land is a great introduction to the magic of Woody Guthrie and
his wonderful music. The real treat is the Arlo Guthrie performance, one of the
best folk singers of all time. (I'm listening to The Best of Arlo Guthrie
as I write these words. No kidding.) The only disappointment is The Star
Spangled Banner, in which Aretha Franklin turns in the worst performance of
our national anthem since Roseanne and Macy Gray massacred it in 1990 and 2000,
respectively. She sings with passion, but unfortunately, your children will need
the subtitles to understand what she's singing. I think for a short subject
aimed primarily at children, it is important that the song is sung with clarity
rather than style.

The animation is good for what it is. Only The Star Spangled Banner
receives the full hand-drawn animation treatment. This Land is My Land
and The Star Spangled Banner are straightforward simulations of the
printed pages, with a few Lumage animated spots here and there. The technique is
appropriate, since the songs should take top priority over flashy visuals.

The full frame transfers are all terrific. Great care has been taken to
present these shorts in the best shape possible. Children will be thrilled with
the bright colors and sharp visuals. There are a few specks in The Scrambled
States of America, but they aren't a bother.

Audio is a simple Dolby Digital 2.0 mono mix. It's serviceable and more than
respectable for a children's disc, especially in the days that most studios
don't give a damn about quality in children's discs.

Among the extra content this disc has to offer are two additional stories,
both narrated by Academy Award nominees. First is John Henry with Samuel
L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) narrating
an adaptation of the award-winning Julius Lester book. The second is Johnny
Appleseed, narrated by Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Passion
Fish). Both are animated in a style that pretty much consists of
photographing the pages and animating select objects. It's quite effective and
worthy of four stars each. A brief documentary short subject titled The Star
Spangled Banner shows us how this short was put together. It's quite
informative, but most will skip this.

With a retail price of $14.95, The Scrambled States of America will
make the perfect addition to your child's DVD collection.

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